@bcohenn

Journalist @TorontoStar | [email protected]

 Toronto, Ontario
thestar.com/users/profile/ben-cohen/
Joined September 2016
  • Tweets1.7K
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  • Followers1.6K
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In the battle for Scarborough North, a rookie councillor defends his record — as two political veterans enter the ring thestar.com/news/gta/in-the-… From @bcohenn @BenSpurr and I via @TorontoStar

In the battle for Scarborough North, a rookie councillor defends his record — as two political...

Property taxes are top of mind in Ward 23, where the TTC board chair and two former federal Liberal MPs are vying for residents' votes.

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Before dropping out of the Toronto mayoral race Chris Alexander sat down for a wide-ranging interview with @bcohenn on why he returned to the public stage. thestar.com/news/gta/city-ha… via @TorontoStar

Chris Alexander spent his life thinking about the world outside Toronto. Why did he want to be its...

Before dropping out of the Toronto mayoral race Chris Alexander sat down for a wide-ranging interview on why he returned to the public stage.

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Ben Spurr@BenSpurrOct 15
From @mahdishabibinia, @bcohenn and me: Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford each faced Star questions for an hour straight. Here’s how they answered the tough ones thestar.com/news/gta/chow-an…

Chow and Bradford each faced Star questions for an hour straight. Here’s how they answered the...

Toronto's leading candidates to be mayor talk to the Star's editorial board about the most difficult matters facing the city and their campaigns.

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How the incumbent-vs-challenger dynamic is framing the mayor's race as Brad Bradford's big — and sometimes controversial — campaign swings have overshadowed Olivia Chow's more modest proposals. thestar.com/news/gta/city-ha… From @bcohenn @dmrider via @TorontoStar

Is Olivia Chow ‘out of ideas’? How the incumbent-vs.-challenger dynamic is framing the mayor’s race

Brad Bradford’s big — and sometimes controversial — swings on the campaign trail have been overshadowing Chow’s more modest proposals.

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Ben Spurr@BenSpurrOct 6
Breaking, from @bcohenn: Chris Alexander drops out of Toronto mayor's race thestar.com/news/gta/chris-a…

Chris Alexander drops out of Toronto mayoral election. Will his supporters swing toward Bradford or...

The former immigration minister made the announcement Tuesday morning.

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Ben Spurr@BenSpurrOct 6
From @bcohenn and me: Advance voting starts today - how the next six days could help decide Toronto's mayoral election thestar.com/news/gta/city-ha…

How the next six days could decide Toronto’s mayoral election

Advance voting in the Toronto municipal election opens Tuesday, setting up a crucial period that could help determine the outcome of the race.

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Isaac Callan@isaaccallanOct 2
The mayors of Ontario's big cities have a group chat. @bcohenn got a copy of the chat's transcript after a protracted freedom of information battle and he's included the entire chat at the bottom of the story if you're curious. #ToPoli #OnPoli thestar.com/news/gta/city-ha…

We fought 2 years to see the Ontario mayors’ group chat. Here’s what we found

One organization fought ceaselessly, with the help of a large, well-respected Bay Street law firm, to conceal this correspondence from the public.

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Ben Spurr@BenSpurrOct 2
Great story from @bcohenn: Ontario Big City Mayors spent two years fighting disclosure of a WhatsApp group chat among municipal leaders. Once you see the contents you've got to wonder: why the secrecy? thestar.com/news/gta/city-ha…

We fought 2 years to see the Ontario mayors’ group chat. Here’s what we found

One organization fought ceaselessly, with the help of a large, well-respected Bay Street law firm, to conceal this correspondence from the public.

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Nearly two years ago, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request for correspondence between mayors of Ontario's largest cities. The mayors consented -- they knew this was public record -- but the Ontario Big City Mayors organization fought us with lawyers. In the end, we won
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This is what we found: thestar.com/news/gta/city-ha…

We fought 2 years to see the Ontario mayors’ group chat. Here’s what we found

One organization fought ceaselessly, with the help of a large, well-respected Bay Street law firm, to conceal this correspondence from the public.

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Ben Spurr@BenSpurrSep 15
From @bcohenn and me: Brad Bradford opts out of tonight’s Toronto mayoral arts debate over alleged moderator bias thestar.com/news/gta/brad-br…

Toronto mayoral candidates vow to increase arts funding, Bradford opts out of debate

Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford pulled out of the TAPA arts debate, alleging moderator Jill Andrew is biased. Read the latest details.

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David Rider@dmriderAug 10
From @bcohenn: How Toronto festivals this year were upended by congestion, cancellations and crime — and what we must do to fix it thestar.com/news/gta/how-tor…

How Toronto festivals this year were upended by congestion, cancellations and crime — and what we...

Planners and business groups are proposing ways to make festivals sustainable in the city.

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Afrofest organizer blames city for cancellation: 'We have never been accepted in the Beaches' thestar.com/news/gta/afrofes… via @TorontoStar

Afrofest organizer blames city for cancellation: ‘We have never been accepted in the Beaches’

Security costs quadrupled, but the huge reduction in capacity is what effectively killed the annual festival, he says.

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Ben Spurr@BenSpurrAug 4
I am off until the end of August to work on an important project (hanging out with my baby). In the meantime the Star’s excellent city hall team of @mahdishabibinia @bcohenn and @dmrider has you covered.
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Can Toronto ban ‘surveillance pricing’ in city grocery stores? Mayor Olivia Chow wants to try thestar.com/news/gta/can-tor… From @bcohenn via @TorontoStar

Can Toronto ban ‘surveillance pricing’ in city grocery stores? Mayor Olivia Chow wants to try

Toronto’s mayor has asked staff for a report on the options the city has to restrict the AI-fuelled retail practice.

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Amusingly described in the Globe over the weekend as a "cheeky reporter" theglobeandmail.com/canada/t…
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Ben Spurr@BenSpurrJul 15
From @bcohenn: Brad Bradford blasts Toronto police for ‘tone deaf’ comments about Salsa on St. Clair shooting thestar.com/news/gta/brad-br…

Brad Bradford blasts Toronto police for ‘tone deaf’ comments about Salsa on St. Clair shooting

Brad Bradford, the city councillor who is running for mayor of Toronto, said Tuesday that the Salsa on St. Clair shooting has shaken the sense of safety and security of Torontonians.

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Former Toronto mayoral candidate Chloe Brown to run for Etobicoke council seat: ‘I want to bring a close to Ford Nation’ thestar.com/news/gta/former-… From @bcohenn via @TorontoStar

Former Toronto mayoral candidate to run for Etobicoke council seat: ‘I want to bring a close to...

Chloe Brown came in third place in 2022 and in seventh place in 2023.

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I sat through council, as I do every month. Toronto is not getting public groceries nor cops at every subway any time soon. What successfully passed through council were requests for plans from city staff, aka pieces of paper. How the city will fund them, if it does, is TBA.
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David Rider@dmriderMar 24
Huge congrats to my @TorontoStar colleague @BKennedyStar who manages to be both a great, humble person and a great journalist. His work exposing human rights abuses at Maplehurst prison in Milton has been exceptional, glad to see it officially recognized as such.
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